Improvement in seal-locks



ALONZO T. BOON, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL-LOCKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,231, dated October 26, 1875 application filed August 11, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO T. BooN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved railroad-switch and car lock; Fig. 2, a view of seal-holder detached from the cap of bolt 5 Fig. 3, a longitudinal section, showing it used as a seal-lock; Fig. 4, a View of key; Fig. 5, a view, showing a slight Inodiication in the construction of spring.

Like letters in all the'gures oi' the drawings indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a lock to be used on freight-cars, bonded warehouses, or on cars containing bonded goods, or as a railroadswitch lock; and it consists of a hollow bolt, having double spring-arms on the inside, provided with tumblers and catches, the end of the bolt being closed by a cap, having a keyhole, in combination with a socket, provided with a shoulder on the inside to receive and hold the said bolt; also, of a seal-holder, in combination with the cap of bolt and socket, soA that by means of a piece of paper or thin metal, with or without any device upon it, as may be desired, placed over the key-hole of the cap, the lock can be used as a seal-lock, and cannot, therefore,be unlocked without defacingthe seal, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

A is the hollow bolt; B B, the double springarms, having catches a a made to project through holes in the side of the bolt. Tumblers b b, constructed as shown in Fig. l, are pivoted to the ends of the arms 5 (l, the cap, provided with a key-hole, c, and attached to the end of the bolt, the opposite end thereof being closed; D, the socket, provided with a shoulder, d, on the inside, to receive and hold the bolt; and E, the seal-holder, which consists of a hanged collar,.with arms e, having turned-in ends, made to t and embrace the l cap, the turned-in ends catching under the lower edge of the cap when the bolt is inserted into the socket, so that the collar cannot be removed until the boltis unlocked by the key. The key F consists of a flat piece oi' metal, provided with slots h L to allow the points of the tumblers b b to turn in them when pressed down by the key to unlock the bolt. The key is also provided with shoulders 'i i on the edges, so that, by tipping the key to one side, the shoulder will catch under the end of the slot or key-hole, and the key thus made to draw the bolt out of the socket. The bolt is provided near its end with pins u n to prevent it from being withdrawn from the socket, thus obviating the use of a chain.

It' desired, the bolt can be used without the seal-holder, (see Fig. 1,) the bolt in that case being secured to a chain, and the pins n n dispensed with.

The operation is as follows: The bolt is locked by pushing it into the socket, the ends of the catches being beveled so as to easily pass and spring under the shoulder d. To unlock the bolt, the key is inserted in the hole or slot c of the cap, and pressed down upon the arms of the tuinblers, and forcing their corner ends against the sides of the bolt causes the arms of the spring to press in and release the catches from under the shoulder, when, by tipping the key to one side, so that the shoulder thereof will catch under the endl of the slot c, the bolt can be readily withdrawn from the socket.

To use the lock as a seal-lock, a round piece ot' paper or thin metal of the size of the top ot' the cap is placed over the key-hole c, and the collar adjusted on the cap, with its ange made to hold the paper, and its arms extending down with their turned-in ends under the edge of the cap, when the bolt is then pushed into the socket, and locked by the catching under its shoulder, as before described. Thus the colla-r cannot be removed, or the bolt unlocked, without defacing the seal.

In using the lock as a switch-lock,the socket is dispensed with, as the catches can be made to catch below or on the farther side of switchbar, the lock acting as a pin-lock.

The construction oi' the lock can be complicated, so as to use most any kind of a key.

As, for instance, Fig. 5 represents a modification of the spring, between the upper ends ot which a cam can be placed, and made to turn r,by means of a common key. Also, the catches f 'can be placed near the point of bolt, and the b and catches a a, cap C, and socket D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The ycombination of a seal-holder with a hollow bolt, A, having a locking mechanism on the inside, and socket D, for securing the seal-holder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The key F, provided with shoulders i fi, in combination with slot c of cap C of the bolt A, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO T. BOON.

Witnesses:

NELSON YOUNG, C. S. PoMERoY. 

